Daily Bible Study - Children Of Jacob Questions? Search all 6,500+ Bible studies on this website. Just type in topic word(s) or a question. Due to extensive use of high-quality maps and illustrations, this educational website is best-viewed with a minimum screen-resolution width of 1280 pixels Children Of Jacob by Wayne Blank The grandson of Abraham , and the son of Isaac , Jacob is a key individual of Bible History . God changed Jacob's name to Israel (see Stairway To Heaven ), and from his sons came the Tribes of Israel - the Israelites. Jacob had 2 wives, Rachel and Leah (who were sisters, and first-cousins of Jacob), and 2 concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, an apparently common and accepted practice of the day. Rachel and Leah did not object to the other two women because it was their idea to have more children with them (Genesis 30:3,9). Rachel - Jacob's favorite wife. She died while giving birth to Benjamin and is buried at Bethlehem . Her children were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph - 11th-born overall.

Definitely his father's favorite son, from his favorite wife, it was Joseph who was sold for slavery into Egypt by his jealous brothers (see Coat Of Many Colors ). There, with God's help, he rose to become the highest official of the Pharaoh , saving the nation from the famine that was prophesied. When the rest of Jacob's family moved to Egypt to escape the famine, it was Joseph who had made their survival possible (they would remain in Egypt 400 years, eventually becoming slaves until the Exodus). While there, Joseph had 2 sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were themselves made into individual tribes of Israel to bring the number back to 12 - the priestly tribe of Levi was not counted separately, but was absorbed among the other tribes. Ephraim - Younger than Manasseh, he was never the less ranked higher in the family structure (Genesis 48:19). His descendants were to become a great future group of nations. Manasseh - 1st-born of Joseph, he was prophesied to become a great single nation. Benjamin - The youngest of the 12 sons. Rachel died while giving him birth.

The apostle Paul (see On The Road To Damascus ), who wrote much of the New Testament, is descended from Benjamin. Leah - It seems that Jacob did not have a great deal of love for her, perhaps because she became his wife by deception (Genesis 29:16-30). Never the less, Leah is the mother of the greatest number of the Tribes of Israel, and is today buried with Jacob (along with Abraham, Sarah , Isaac and Rebekah) in the high-tension area of The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Her children are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Israel's only recorded daughter, Dinah. Reuben - 1st-born overall. He was disqualified from his position as eldest son when he committed an act of sexual immorality with Jacob's concubine Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). Simeon - 2nd-born overall. Levi - 3rd-born overall. From Levi came the Levites who were dedicated to God's service. As such, they were later not counted as a separate tribe.

Moses and Aaron and John The Baptist were descended from Levi. Judah - 4th-born overall. Perhaps the most famous of Jacob's sons, it was from Judah that the Jews are descended. Jesus Christ (see also The Chosen People ), and most Christians in the earliest days of the church, were descended from Judah. A vital element for understanding Bible Prophecy is that while all Jews are Israelites, not all Israelites are Jews (just the same as all Belgians are Europeans, but not all Europeans are Belgians). There are many millions of people around the world today who are Israelites, but are not Jews. Issachar - 9th-born overall. Zebulun - 10th-born overall. Dinah - Israel's only daughter. Bilhah - Rachel's maid, it was Rachel's idea that Jacob have children with her (Genesis 30:3-6). Her children were Dan and Naphtali. Dan - 5th-born overall. Naphtali - 6th-born overall. Zilpah - Leah's maid, it was Leah's idea that Jacob have children with her (Genesis 30:9). Her children were Gad and Asher.

Gad - 7th-born overall. Asher - 8th-born overall. Fact Finder: When he knew that he was dying, did Jacob specifically request that he be taken out from Egypt and buried in the family tomb in Hebron? Genesis 49:29-33 Benjamin | Define Benjamin at Dictionary.com benjamin [ben-juh-muh n] /ˈbɛn dʒə mən/ Spell 1570-80; alteration (by association with the proper name) of benjoin, early form of benzoin 1 Benjamin [ben-juh-muh n] /ˈbɛn dʒə mən/ Spell the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and the brother of Joseph. Gen. 35:18. 2. one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel traditionally descended from him. 3. Asher, 1773–1845, U.S. architect and writer. 4. Judah Philip, 1811–84, Confederate statesman. 5. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “son of the right.”.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for benjamin Expand The Printer Boy. William M. Thayer A is for Ann, who is milking a cow; B is for benjamin, making a bow. British Dictionary definitions for benjamin Expand another name for benzoin (sense 1) 2. benjamin bush, another name for spicebush Word Origin C16: variant of benzoin; influenced in form by the name Benjamin Benjamin1 the youngest and best-loved son of Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 35:16–18; 42:4) the tribe descended from this patriarch the territory of this tribe, northwest of the Dead Sea 2. (archaic) a youngest and favourite son Benjamin2 noun 1. Arthur. 1893–1960, Australian composer. In addition to Jamaican Rumba (1938), he wrote five operas and a harmonica concerto (1953) 2. (German) (ˈbɛnɪamin). Walter (ˈvaltər).

1892–1940, German critic and cultural theorist Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for benjamin Expand Benjamin masc. proper name, in Old Testament, Jacob's youngest son (Gen. xxxv:18), from Hebrew Binyamin, literally "son of the south," though interpreted in Genesis as "son of the right hand," from ben "son of" + yamin "right hand," also "south" (in an East-oriented culture). Cf. Arabic cognate yaman "right hand, right side, south;" yamana "he was happy," literally "he turned to the right." The right was regarded as auspicious (see left and dexterity ). Also see Yemen , southpaw , and cf.

deasil "rightwise, turned toward the right," from Gaelic deiseil "toward the south; toward the right," from deas "right, right-hand; south." Also cf. Sanskrit dakshina "right; south." Slang meaning "money" (by 1999) is from portrait of Benjamin Franklin on U.S. $100 bill. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Slang definitions & phrases for benjamin Expand A hundred-dollar bill [fr Benjamin Franklin's image on the bill] The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers. benjamin in the Bible Expand son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin.

His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen. 49:27; Deut. 33:12; Josh. 18:21). The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num. 1:36, 37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh and Ephraim on the west of the tabernacle. At the entrance into Canaan it counted 45,600 warriors. It has been inferred by some from the words of Jacob (Gen. 49:27) that the figure of a wolf was on the tribal standard. This tribe is mentioned in Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5. The inheritance of this tribe lay immediately to the south of that of Ephraim, and was about 26 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Its eastern boundary was the Jordan. Dan intervened between it and the Philistines. Its chief towns are named in Josh. 18:21-28. The history of the tribe contains a sad record of a desolating civil war in which they were engaged with the other eleven tribes.

By it they were almost exterminated (Judg. 20:20, 21; 21:10). (See GIBEAH .) The first king of the Jews was Saul, a Benjamite. A close alliance was formed between this tribe and that of Judah in the time of David (2 Sam. 19:16, 17), which continued after his death (1 Kings 11:13; 12:20). After the Exile these two tribes formed the great body of the Jewish nation (Ezra 1:5; 10:9). The tribe of Benjamin was famous for its archers (1 Sam. 20:20, 36; 2 Sam. 1:22; 1 Chr. 8:40; 12:2) and slingers (Judge. 20:6). The gate of Benjamin, on the north side of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:13; 38:7; Zech. 14:10), was so called because it led in the direction of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

It is called by Jeremiah (20:2) "the high gate of Benjamin;" also "the gate of the children of the people" (17:19). (Comp. 2 Kings 14:13.) Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary Benjamin - OrthodoxWiki Benjamin Jump to: navigation , search This article or section needs to be "Orthodoxized"/MCBed, that is, rewritten from a Mainstream Chalcedonian Orthodox point of view . Specific recommendations for its Orthodoxizing may be found on the talk page . You can help OrthodoxWiki by editing it . Benjamin is also the name of an Ecumenical Patriarch Benjamin (Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין - standard transliteration Binyamin) is an Old Testament figure. The name literally translates to "son of right," generally taken to mean "son of my right hand," the "right" direction having the connotation of strength or desirability. He was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 35:18). The Orthodox Church remembers the Righteous Benjamin on the Sunday of the Forefathers .

Contents 6 External links Description His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Ephrath, which is identified with Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). His mother Rachel died in childbirth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni ("son of my pain"), an ill-omened name which was changed by his father into Binyamin. His posterity were the tribe of Benjamin , sometimes translated "Benjamites" (Genesis 49:27; Deuteronomy 33:12; Joshua 18:21). The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest aside from tribe of Manasseh, which was split off from tribe of Joseph (Numbers 1:34-1:37; Psalms 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh and Ephraim on the west of the tabernacle. At the entrance into Canaan it counted 45,600 warriors.

It has been inferred by some from the words of Jacob (Genesis 49:27) that the figure of a wolf was on the tribal standard: "Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he shall devour the prey, at evening he shall divide the spoil." This tribe is mentioned in Epistle to the Romans 11:1 and Philippians 3:5. The inheritance of this tribe lay immediately to the south of that of Ephraim, and was about 26 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Its eastern boundary was the Jordan River. tribe of Dan intervened between it and the Philistines. Its chief towns are named in Josh. 18:21-28. The history of the tribe contains a sad record of a desolating civil war in which they were engaged with the other eleven tribes; they were almost exterminated (Judg. 20:20, 21; 21:10). The first king of the Jews was Saul , a Benjamite. A close alliance was formed between this tribe and that of tribe of Judah in the time of David ( 2 Sam.

19:16, 17), which continued after his death ( 1 Kings 11:13; 12:20). After the Babylonian captivity {Exile) these two tribes formed the great body of the Jewish nation (Ezra 1:5; 10:9), and to this day the other ten are referred to as the lost tribes of Israel . The tribe of Benjamin was famous for its archers ( 1 Sam. 20:20, 36; 2 Sam. 1:22; 1 Chr. 8:40; 12:2) and slingers ( Judges 20:6). The gate of Benjamin, on the north side of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:13; 38:7; Zech. 14:10), was so called because it led in the direction of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. It is called by Jeremiah (20:2) "the high gate of Benjamin"; also "the gate of the children of the people" (17:19). (Comp.

2 Kings 14:13.) Son of Jacob Benjamin was the son of Jacob and Rachel, the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons and full blood brother to Joseph . Benjamin's early years are not divulged too deeply, but what is known is that he did not feel jealousy towards Joseph as their older brothers did and he had no involvement in Joseph being sold into slavery. Once Joseph was sold and thought to be dead, it appears that Jacob took Benjamin up as his favorite son. Though this is not directly said, he did not send Benjamin with his older brothers to Egypt and when they returned for him it took them two years to convince Jacob to let him go. Benjamin was key in Joseph's plan in testing their brothers to see if they had really changed. When they arrived in Egypt he demanded that they bring Benjamin back with them on the pretense that they prove they are not spies, while he kept Simeon as collateral.

After two years they do return with Benjamin and though he doesn't recognize his brother, Joseph is very happy to see him: When Joseph looked around he saw his own mother's son, his brother Benjamin and asked, 'Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me?' and to Benjamin he said, 'May God be gracious to you, my son!' Joseph, suddenly overcome by his feelings for his brother, was almost in tears, and he went into the inner room and wept. (Genesis 43:29-30) Later Joseph had his silver cup planted in Benjamin's sack and then had him arrested for theft . This was still part of his plan in testing their older brothers. When the brothers pleaded his case and even Judah offers to stay in his place, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and hugs Benjamin first. Jacob's blessing On his deathbed, Jacob blesses each one of his sons, usually based upon the actions they took in life.

Though Benjamin had no involvement in Joseph's enslavement and there doesn't seem to be much evidence that he was troublesome, Jacob bestows upon him a rather somber blessing: Benjamin is a ravening wolf, in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he snatches a share of the spoil. (Genesis 49:27) The tomb of Benjamin The tomb of Benjamin The tomb of Benjamin, according to one tradition, is located in Israel on the road from Kefar-Sava to Kochav-Yair, west of Kalkilia. This location used to be located on the main road from north (Galilee, Syria, and beyond) and south (Egypt). The next stop south was Jaljulia, the Gilgal of the Sharon. The tomb is called by the Arabs "E Neby Yamin" Neby. On the north side of the tomb is an Arabic stone plate which praises the Lord. A nearby agricultural village, Neve Yamin, is named after the tomb. The site was populated in the late Roman and Byzantine periods (2nd to 7th C AD). There are two wells, of which one can be seen near the tomb.

The tomb, and some of the ruins around it, are from the Mameluke period (14th C AD). A hostel (Khan) nearby has a stone plate with the date of 1312. Reference Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897. External links The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1908: Benjamin. Material on the tribe, its territory, Rabbinical tradition and Islam, where Benjamin is not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an. Footnote: The Twelve Tribes of Israel Because he saved the family, Jacob took the birthright from Simeon (who had sold Joseph into slavery) and gave it to Joseph. Jacob made Joseph a patriarch like himself by adopting Joseph's two sons giving them equal status with his own sons, i.e., adding them to the 12 tribes of Israel. Each of these 12 sons was the eponym of a tribe of Isrealites. Though to be more accurate, Joseph was the ancestor of 2 tribes, of which his sons were the eponyms. Just before he died, Jacob decreed Joseph's younger son, Ephraim to be greater than his older brother Manasseh.

When Joseph tried to tell Jacob (Israel now) that he was giving the greater blessing to the youngest, Israel told him, "I know, my son, I know. He (Manasseh) too shall become a people; he too shall be great. Yet his younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." (Genesis 48:19-20). In this way the lineage of Israel passed down from Joseph through Ephraim. It did not go to Judah. After blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, Israel called his other sons in and told them what lay in store for them in the future. To Judah part of what he said was this: "The sceptre shall not pass from Judah nor the mace from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, to whom the peoples shall render obedience." (Genesis 49:10). There are important allegories in this sequence. We have listed them all in our previous writings, especially Joseph's symbolic relationship with Christ and divine food. Another important allegory relates to Ephraim and Manasseh.

They stand for the second generation of the tribes of Israel: i.e., what they evolved to under Christ. These two represent the two houses of Israel. The younger (Ephraim) represents the Christians and Manasseh, the older of the two, represents the Jews. The birthright passed to the Christians through Ephraim by spiritual symbolism. They obeyed God and accepted His King. The result was an enormous quantity of Christian nations. This allegory (Ephraim & Manasseh) talks to us in today's terms. We do not see twelve tribes nowadays because most are invisible. But we do see an Israel divided into two houses (Christians and Jews). Judah became the base of power as far as the tribes of Israel were concerned (the sceptre was put in the hands of Judah and the mace between his feet). It was a power made visible in Solomon's and Herod's temples. But, as the prophecy said, that power belonged to another; the Messiah. Jesus, of course, was born into the tribe of Judah just as Israel's blessing predicted. The prophecy shows that the sceptre belonged to Him. Jesus is King of all mankind.

As predicted, His people have become a multitude of nations. With the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem as the signal to return, both houses of Israel are being called back to the Holy Land in a great ingathering that will encompass (in symbolism) all the tribes of Israel. So it is not just the Jews who are being called back to Jerusalem. It is all the tribes of Israel. This is the ingathering that will bring all Christians and all Jews to the Holy Land for the Second Appearance of Jesus Christ. All the nations will gather there as well because it is the time of the Judgement. Many people say that the Jews are God's favorites, but nowhere in the Bible is this stated. In fact, just the opposite. Almost every book in scripture from the Torah to the Book of Revelation testifies that God has no favorites. Jesus said it is behavior that determines the people of God. JACOB'S CHILDREN IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL At an assembly held in Shiloh, Joshua cast lots before the gathered tribes, and there according to the way the lots fell, Joshua apportioned the land among the Israelites according to their groupings.

These 12 tribes were descended from the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel), borne of 2 wives, sisters Leah and Rachel, and 2 slave-wives given to him by the two sisters. Rachel remained barren, so God opened the womb of Leah first. Leah conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Reuben. Soon thereafter she also gave birth to Simeon, Levi and Judah. Rachel, seeing that she herself gave Jacob no offspring, became jealous of her sister Leah who had quickly produced four children for Jacob. So she gave her slave-girl, Bilhah to her husband as a wife that she might have a child through her. Bilhah gave birth to Dan and then Naphtali. Leah did the same, giving her slave-girl (Zilpah) to Jacob who conceived first Gad and then Asher. Afterward, Leah herself conceived Issachar, Zebulun and a daughter, Dinah. Finally, God remembered Rachel, Jacob's favorite, bringing Joseph to birth in her womb. After that, Rachel conceived Benjamin as well, bringing Jacob's male progeny to twelve.

When Jacob's sons reached early manhood, they became jealous of Joseph who was his father's favorite. They kidnapped him, and sold him to a caravan headed for Egypt. Living in the land of Egypt, Joseph became very important and powerful, overseeing all of Pharaoh's graineries. When a great famine swept the Middle East, Egypt remained fully stocked with food on account of Joseph's brilliant skill and foresight. Knowing that Egypt had ample food, Jacob gathered his children and wives together and took them there to seek bread so that they not starve to death. Once there he discovered his missing long-lost favorite son. Joseph held no grudge against his brothers. He welcomed them all with open arms and gave them as much as they wanted to eat. As a reward for his generosity and love, Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manesseh, and blessed them that they might also share in the tribal legacy God had promised Jacob concerning his twelve sons. Because Joseph had borne two of the twelve, he became a patriarch himself, rising to a level above his brothers. He was accorded a position of supreme honor, joining Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the progenitors of the twelve tribes.

For this reason, he is not counted among the landowners. Jacob's third son, Levi, was removed from landowning status as well, for it was in this tribe that the priesthood of Israel was formed. The Levites became the caretakers of the religion. That is why neither Joseph nor Levi have their names ascribed to geographical areas on the map above. Dan was first given land in an area that looked on Joppa, east of Benjamin. However, the Philistines resisted them there, blocking their efforts to capture the towns awarded to them in the original inheritance of the tribes. So the descendants of Dan headed north to a city called Leshem. Capturing this city, they renamed it 'Dan' after their ancestor, and settled there instead. This city proved to be the northernmost boundary of the land of Israel, stretching from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. RACHEL, JACOB in the BIBLE.

crowded love story with four wives Rachel means ‘ewe’, a female sheep, a symbol of prosperity and security for nomadic people Leah means ‘cow’ Jacob means ‘he who grabs’, either his brother’s heel at the moment of birth (see Rebecca ) or his brother’s inheritance later on; the name also means ‘deceiver’ Laban means ‘white’; it was often linked with leprosy Reuben means ‘look, a son!’ Joseph means ‘increaser’ Main themes of the story The foundation of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are united (they have a common origin) and separate (the descendents of Jacob’s twelve very different children) The consequences of sin – in this case, lying. Laban’s deception causes destructive rivalry – between two women, the beautiful Rachel and her plain sister Leah, and between two men, Jacob and his father-in-law Laban. Map showing the territory of the 12 Tribes of Israel The story has five episodes: 4 Rachel and Leah leave with Jacob, Rachel takes the household shrine, Genesis 30:25-43, 31 Jacob could not forgive his father-in-law Laban, and eventually the two went separate ways.

When they did, Rachel stole the statuettes that were sacred to her family. 5 Rachel has a son, Benjamin, and dies soon after, Genesis 35:16-30 Later on Rachel bore a second son, Benjamin, but died in childbirth. The twelve sons of Jacob were the forefathers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. For a short version of Rachel’s story, see Bible People: Rachel. The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel, William Dyce Rachel meets Jacob at the well Every afternoon, Rachel watered her flock of sheep at a well near Haran, an outpost of the ancient city of Ur. Wells had a practical use, but in story-telling a well was a symbol of the feminine and of women’s power to produce and nurture life. Stone well with wooden bucket Looked at realistically, they were also places where young men and women could meet their future marriage partners. Wells were covered with a broad flat stone that cut down on evaporation in the heat. Since it was too large for one man to move, the shepherds who gathered there waited until there was a group to move it. On this particular afternoon, a young traveler called Jacob was there as well.

He chatted with the shepherds, telling them that his family had originally come from this same area. They pointed towards a woman in the distance, saying she was the daughter of his mother’s brother. While they waited for her to arrive, Jacob observed that it is too early in the day to fold the sheep, a not-very-subtle way of saying they were slacking at their job, but a signal to the reader that Jacob had already developed the work ethic. He did not need a master to tell him what should be done, and would thus be a good provider for the woman who chose him. Cascade The text suggests that Rachel may have heard this interchange between Jacob and the shepherds, and been favorably impressed. When Jacob saw Rachel at close quarters, he was smitten. In an act of bravado, he removed the great stone single-handed, hoping to impress the young woman. He was successful. The reader is again aware of the sexual symbolism of his action, and knows that removing the lid from the well has shown he will be her lover and husband.

‘Now when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban … he went up and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and wept aloud.’ Jacob introduced himself, becoming quite emotional in the process. He had made a long and arduous journey of about five hundred miles, and now found himself at journey’s end, with the woman of his dreams. He was in the right place, with the right person, and his emotions spilled over. The Bride, Edward Goodall In response, Rachel ran to her father’s house and told him about the young man. Her father, Laban, ran out to meet Jacob, welcoming him warmly. The text keeps repeating that Jacob is the son of Laban’s sister: in many ancient societies, the relationship between a child and its mother’s brother, the maternal uncle, was considered even more important that between a child and its father. This makes Laban’s later betrayal of Jacob even more repugnant. Jacob stayed with Rachel’s family for a month, and during this time he fell deeply in love with Rachel.

Leah and Rachel marry Jacob Rachel and Jacob were in love, so Jacob approached Laban for permission to marry her. Money was involved in a marriage. A Jewish family tried to provide each daughter with a dowry, which was property handed over by her family and afterwards owned by the wife. It was her share of the family inheritance, enough to act as an income for her should she be abandoned or widowed. A prospective bridegroom was expected to give financial compensation to the family of the bride, to make up for the loss of their daughter. (You can read more about this at Money and Marriage .) But Jacob had come empty-handed, and could not produce the normal bride-price for Rachel. So Laban agreed that his daughter might marry Jacob but stipulated that, as a bride price, Jacob must contract to work for him for seven years (the seven year cycle was a sacred one in the ancient world). Jacob agreed, and he and Rachel settled down to wait. He loved her so much, the story tells us, that the seven years seemed only like a few days. What neither of them realized was that Laban had agreed to let ‘his daughter’ marry Jacob, but had not specified which daughter it would be.

Rachel had an older sister Leah, not so beautiful, and Laban had quietly pointed out that the older sister in a family was usually married before her younger sister. Neither of the young lovers had understood the implications of this statement. Veiled woman When the seven years were over Jacob demanded his bride, and Laban prepared a wedding feast – though the Hebrew words suggest it was more of a drinking banquet. The bride was dressed in the finest clothes, including a rich head-dress and veil that covered her face. When the feasting was over her father led her, still veiled, into the room of her bridegroom, and the bride and Jacob made love. By this time, Jacob may have had a considerable amount to drink. What Jacob didn’t realize until the morning dawned was that the bride in his bed was not Rachel, but Leah. He had been tricked into marrying the wrong sister. Jacob, who had with the help of his mother outwitted his brother Esau (see the story of this deception at Bible Men and Women: Jacob ) was now outwitted by someone even wilier than himself.

Moreover, he had been fooled with the same trick: he had pretended to be his brother Esau, and now he had been fooled when Leah pretended to be her sister Rachel. Who says the Bible has no sense of humour? Jacob reproaches Laban, Brugghen It was a terrible start to their marriage: his new wife Leah had colluded with her father to deceive him. This soured their relationship from the start. Where Rachel had been while all this was happening, we are not told, but it is hardly likely she willingly agreed to go along with her father’s plan. The furious Jacob confronted Laban. ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ But there was not much that could be done. During the night he had taken Leah’s virginity, and in tribal society this meant she was his wife, like it or not. But he never forgave her for what she had done – she is usually described as ‘unloved’ in the English translation of the story, but the original Hebrew word is better translated as ‘hated’. The upside was that polygamy was acceptable, and Jacob now insisted that Rachel become his wife as well.

Agreed, said Laban, but you must work another seven years for her. Jacob had no choice, and had to accept Laban’s bargain. So after the ceremonial week of the wedding to Leah was over, Rachel married Jacob, becoming his second but most-loved wife. Read Genesis 29:31-35 Rachel faced a different problem. No matter how she prayed to God, no matter how much she was loved by Jacob, Rachel did not conceive. In desperation she gave her maid Bilhah to Jacob, so that he could conceive a child with Bilhah as a surrogate mother for Rachel. This practice was common in the ancient world; the woman became a concubine instead of a servant, and it was a step up the social ladder for her. She might become the mother of the future tribal leader. Bilhah had a son, whom Rachel named Dan. Then she had a second son, and Rachel called him Naphtali. In response, Leah gave her own maid Zilpah to Jacob, and this resulted in yet more sons: Gad and Asher. A bitter rivalry grew up between the two women.

Read Genesis 30:1-13 A mandrake root One day, Leah’s son Reuben found some mandrake roots in the fields. Mandrake roots were a popular aphrodisiac in the ancient world, probably because they looked like the sexual organs of a well-endowed man. Reuben took the mandrakes to his mother, and when Rachel saw them she asked Leah if she could have some of them. Leah agreed, on condition that Rachel commanded Jacob to have sexual intercourse with Leah that night. Rachel complied, and this resulted in a fifth son for Leah. She called him Assachar. Later, another son arrived for Leah, whom she called Zebulun. Finally, she bore Jacob a daughter, Dinah. Only then, at the end of this long wait, did Rachel finally become pregnant. She conceived and bore a son and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach’; and she named him Joseph, saying ‘May the Lord add to me another son!’ Read Genesis 30:14-24 Rachel and Leah flee with Jacob The birth of Rachel’s son Joseph seemed to jolt her family into action.

All of them decided to break away from Laban’s tribe and go out on their own. Speckled lambs Jacob first asked Laban’s permission to leave and take a proportion of the flocks with him as his wages. A certain amount of haggling ensued and once again Laban tried to trick Jacob. Because of the mutual suspicion between the two men and double-dealing on both sides, there could be no amicable resolution of the matter. Jacob won the battle of wills because he was quick-witted and skilled in animal husbandry. He knew about cross-breeding techniques for his flocks and was able to develop a particular type of animal that Laban had previously agreed Jacob might keep. Naturally, Laban and his sons resented Jacob’s success. Rachel steals the sacred household icons John William Waterhouse, The Household Gods. The image shows women in the Greco-Roman period, later than Rachel’s time, but it captures the daily homage given to household icons. At this stage, Jacob felt God calling him to return to his homeland. Rachel and Leah were also dissatisfied by the way things were panning out financially, and felt they are not getting what they were entitled to as Laban’s daughters.

It was time to go. They both urged Jacob to take action. Read Genesis 30:25-43, 31:1-21 It seems that Rachel in particular was still angry at her father for what he had done to her. Before they set out, she took the small figurines that represented the spirits of ancestors and the protective deities of her father’s family (the teraphim), telling no-one at all what she was doing. See Bible Archaeology: Ancient Religions for information about ancient religious beliefs and practices. This was not a random act of malice, for years ago on what should have been her wedding night, Laban had stolen Rachel’s happiness. Now she stole something that was precious to him – pay-back for a life-time of bullying. Ancient clay statuette of Asherah, possibly similar to the terephim stolen by Rachel But her act had wider significance than this, because the teraphim were a form of title deed, and the person who possessed them could claim the tribe’s wealth. Ownership of the household deities was the prerogative of the head of the family, and by taking them Rachel secured this position for her husband.

The whole family group assembled, ready to return to the land of Jacob’s father, Isaac. They crossed the Euphrates and headed towards the hill country of Gilead. But it was not going to be as easy as that. Laban pursued them, caught up with them, and confronted them. Where were the household gods? They were missing and Laban wanted them back. This was news to Jacob. He did not know Rachel had taken them, since she had kept them hidden and had not told anyone what she had done. Jacob then made one of those foolish pronouncements that give the reader a hint that something bad is coming: he indignantly denied knowledge of the theft, and said that whoever had done such a thing should die. Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two maids to find the teraphim- each woman in a polygamous marriage had her own separate tent. For interesting images of tents used by nomadic herders like Jacob and Rachel, see Bible Architecture: Housing. 'The front section of the tent was used for work. It was the public area, open to visitors. The men of the family lived there. The second or rear part of the tent was private.

A dividing curtain separated it from the front area. It was here that the women, children and babies lived and slept.' Nomadic Tents Laban found nothing. Then he went into Rachel’s tent, where the teraphim were hidden. What he did not know was that Rachel had hidden them in the saddle-bags of her camel. She greeted her father respectfully but did not rise from where she was sitting. She explained demurely that she could not do so, since she was menstruating. ‘Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.’ This meant that the cloth on which she was sitting was ritually unclean, and could not be touched by anyone. Most ancient tribes had customs that allowed menstruating women to withdraw from physical contact with the tribe while they had their periods, and women welcomed this time of rest from their usual tasks. Rachel’s manner towards her father was so sweet and yielding that Laban did not argue or tell her to move, and the upshot was that he left her tent empty-handed. She had used the laws of ritual cleanliness to her own advantage. The irony was that it was a lie. She was already pregnant with a son.

Since Laban could not find the teraphim, he had to back down. The two men made a face-saving covenant, and early the next morning Laban said good-bye to them all, and left. Read Genesis 31:22-35 Rachel has a son, Benjamin, and dies When Laban was gone Rachel’s family moved on, and on the way to Ephrath she went into labor. This time things did not go well for her. The pains were very bad, and Rachel suffered terribly. To comfort her the midwife told her it would be a boy. It was, but Rachel would not live to see him grow. She died in childbirth. Earlier in the story, Rachel said she would die if she had no sons ( Genesis 30:1 ). In the end it was having sons that killed her. Search Box table: sons of Jacob, 12 tribes of Israel Part IV - Marching Order of the Tribes Part I - Introductory Facts about the 12 Tribes of Israel Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac begot Jacob. To be an Israelite by blood, a person must be a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Jacob begot 12 sons who are listed herein in subsequent sections. The 12 sons of Jacob are the patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel. For example, Jacob's son Benjamin is the patriarch of the Tribe of Benjamin. Jacob's son Reuben is the patriarch of the Tribe of Reuben. And so forth. Well-known descendants of certain Tribes Tribe of Benjamin - King Saul, Paul the apostle [a.k.a. Saul of Tarsus] Tribe of Levi - Moses, Aaron Tribe of Judah - King David, King Solomon, many other kings; Lord Jesus, the Messiah The Promised Land [Canaan], plus an area on the east side of the Jordan River, was allocated among the 12 Tribes. [Num 33.54; Num 36.3-9] As the priestly Tribe, Levi was given no land. [Num 18.20, 18.24] Instead of land, God gave Levi the tithes of the people of Israel. Jacob's son Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

By Jacob's command [Gen 48.5], Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were regarded as de facto "Tribes" of Israel. Thus, the land allocations of Joseph and Levi were given instead to Ephraim and Manasseh, preserving *twelve* as the number of tribes. [Josh 14.3-4] There is no such thing as "10 lost tribes of Israel." [Mt 10.6, Acts 26.7, Jam 1.1, Rev 7.1-8; Ezek 37] Part II Sons of Jacob [Names, Mothers, Birth Verses] Sons of Jacob Meaning of Name Mother Birth Verse 01-Reuben See, a son Leah So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely seen my affliction.

Now therefore, my husband will love me." Gen 29.32 02-Simeon Hearing Leah Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. Gen 29.33 03-Levi Joined; attached Leah She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. Gen 29.34 04-Judah Yah be praised Leah And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise Yahweh." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Gen 29.35 05-Dan Judge Bilhah (Rachel's servant) Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan.

Gen 30.6 06-Naphtali My wrestling Bilhah (Rachel's servant) Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called him Naphtali. Gen 30.6 07-Gad Troop; invader; good fortune Zilpah (Leah's servant) Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. Gen 30.11 08-Asher Happy Zilpah (Leah's servant) Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. Gen 30.13 09-Issachar Man of hire Leah Leah said, "God has given me my hire [wages] because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. Gen 30.18 10-Zebulun Dwelling Leah Leah said, "...now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun.

Gen 30.20b 11-Joseph Increaser Rachel So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son." Gen 30.24 12-Benjamin Son of the right hand Rachel As her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-Oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Ben-Jamin. Gen 35.18 Part III - Prophecies about the 12 Tribes Sons of Jacob Genesis 49.1-27 Moses' Blessings Deuteronomy 33.6-25 01-Reuben Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it -He went up to my couch. Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few. 02-Simeon Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.

Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel. [Moses makes no mention of Simeon in blessing the tribes of Israel.] 03-Levi Of Levi he said: "Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, Who says of his father and mother, 'I have not seen them'; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.

Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again." 04-Judah Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

And this he said of Judah: "Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies." 05-Dan Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation, O LORD! And of Dan he said: "Dan is a lion's whelp; He shall leap from Bashan." 06-Naphtali Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words. And of Naphtali he said: "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south." 07-Gad Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last. And of Gad he said: "Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver's portion was reserved there.

He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel." 08-Asher Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties. And of Asher he said: "Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be." 09-Issachar "Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens; He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves. And of Zebulun he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand." 10-Zebulun Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.

11-Joseph Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

And of Joseph he said: "Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come 'on the head of Joseph, & on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.' His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh." 12-Benjamin Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.

Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders." Part IV - Marching Order of the Tribes From Egypt to the Promised Land Military Organization & Marching Order of Israel Numbers Chapter 2 North - last to break camp Dan 62,700 | Asher 41,500 Naphtali 53,400 | Total 157,600 West - 3rd to break camp Ephraim 40,500 | Manasseh 32200 Benjamin 35,400 | Total 108,100 Center - Tabernacle of Meeting Levi unnumbered [Num 2.33] East - 1st to break camp Judah 74,600 | Issachar 54,400 Zebulun 57,400 | Total 186,400 South - 2nd to break camp Reuben 46,500 | Simeon 59,300

Question: Who was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel?
Answer: Benjamin